Chayote Squash Gratin

Firstly, I’m not sure whether to call this a Chayote Squash Gratin or Scalloped Chayote or Cheesy Low Carb Gratin. However, here’s what I can tell you. This is perfect low carb gratin to satisfy your rich potato side dish cravings and also when you don’t want to eat anymore riced cauliflower as a side dish — though I do love cauliflower rice. Best of all: it’s just 5 net carbs per serving.

Chayote Squash

Never heard of chayote squash? Well, it’s a vegetable that is native to the Caribbean and Mexico. It’s pear shaped with sometimes prickly skin and has a seed inside. Even though it sounds exotic as heck, you can buy it here in the United States at Walmart — yes, Walmart grocery — as well as Whole Foods.

The texture is very much like that of an American pear or an apple and I can see how it would work well as a swap for potatoes in a gratin recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 chayote squash peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon Badia Complete seasoning
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chicken or bone broth
• 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded
• 1 cup mozzarella shredded, divided
• salt and pepper to taste

Making Chayote Squash Gratin

I decided to try this chayote squash in a gratin dish. Even though it isn’t on my list of low carb vegetables, I knew that most veggies in the squash family do qualify. So why not give it a try?

First, I used a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Then, I sliced the chayote flesh into thin strips. I added coconut oil and butter to the pan, and sauteed garlic and onions.

I added heavy cream and Badia Complete seasoning then my cheese to make the sauce. Then dumped my chayotes in.

I think next time I will sautee them over high heat first or grill them up to get a nice char on them before this step. I can see that adding an awesome layer of flavor.

If your sauce is too thick, add a bit of chicken broth to it. Just keep in mind that chayote squash has a high liquid content so they could get runny on their own.

After cooking on the stovetop, I transferred it to a Dutch oven and placed it in the oven, heated to 350 F. I added cheese to the top and placed it under the broiler for the last five baking minutes to get that perfect top.

So how was it? Delicious! We really loved this dish. It was rich, creamy and so satisfying. I can easily see this replacing traditional scalloped potatoes at our next holiday gathering.